Paralegal or
legal assistant is currently a poorly defined term and field. From the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) we learn that “A paralegal/legal assistant is a person qualified through
education,
training or
work experience to perform substantive
legal work that requires knowledge of legal concepts and is customarily, but not exclusively, performed by a
lawyer.”
With a little further study one learns that as with all fairly young fields (the paralegal field has only been around since the 60s) the
qualifications to enter into training for the field and the actual
training as well as type of work done varies widely. Even the use of the word “paralegal” or “legal assistant” is not restricted to any single
standard. There is a
certification exam, The Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE), developed in 1994 by the NFPA that confers the credential "PACE Registered Paralegal," or "RP" on the candidates who successfully pass. This exam is not associated with any school providing paralegal education and was developed by an independent company in an attempt to fairly test the knowledge of the candidate. Minimum education and experience as a paralegal are required before even sitting the exam. There were provisions to “grandparent” individuals with a lot of
experience but a low
formal education up until the year 2001. Individual
schools continue to issue their own degrees or certifications and there is no requirement for a paralegal to be an "RP".
The formal education required by a paralegal’s employer is rising as is the number of paralegals rises. Unlike the nursing profession, which also has at least 3
levels of entry and requires state
licensure in order to practice; paralegals are not in short supply. In view of this and in my opinion only, the
profession will likely become more standardized instead of less. The PACE exam requires at least a
bachelors degree but in 1999 in the US 21% of all paralegals held only an
associate degree. Also, in 1999 only 83% of paralegals surveyed by PFPA had received any formal paralegal education. There are “Over 800 formal paralegal training programs are offered by 4-year colleges and universities, law schools, community and junior colleges, business schools, and proprietary schools. There are currently 247 programs approved by the
American Bar Association (ABA). Although this approval is neither required nor sought by many programs,
graduation from an ABA-approved program can enhance one’s employment opportunities.” (http://www.staffwise.com/ParalegalOutlook.htm - The Outlook For the
Paralegal Profession
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: 1998 - 1999 Occupational Outlook Handbook)
Employment trends and salaries (the NFPA’s 1999 survey showed salary range of $22,000 to $98,000 with an average of $38,000) reflect an increasing demand for higher education including formal paralegal studies as well as a bachelors degree.